Drum washing machine

ABSTRACT

A drum washing machine for allowing a user to take laundry, attached to several positions of the inner cylindrical surface of a drum or entangled in the drum, out of the drum. The drum includes a main body to contain laundry, an opening which extends forward from the main body so that the laundry is placed into the main body through the opening, and a plurality of protrusions spaced from each other and disposed on an inner cylindrical surface of the opening so that the drum can be manually rotated. The drum is inclined so that a height of a front end of the drum at the opening is formed is higher than that of a rear end of the drum. Accordingly, when washing of the laundry is completed, the drum is rotated using the protrusions, thereby allowing the user to easily take the laundry out of the drum.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0084227, filed Sep. 9, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a drum washing machine. More particularly, to a drum washing machine in which a drum is manually rotated so that a user can easily and rapidly take laundry, attached to several positions of the inner cylindrical surface of the drum or entangled in the drum, out of the drum after a dehydrating operation is performed by the high-speed rotation of the drum.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a conventional drum washing machine includes a tub and a drum installed in a housing thereof, a door hinged to an opened front surface of the housing, and a rotary shaft connected to the central part of the rear portion of the drum passes through the rear portion of the tub and is connected to a driving motor installed in the rear of the tub. Laundry which is placed into the drum through the opened front surface of the housing, is washed by rotating the drum under the condition that designated amounts of washing water and detergent are supplied to the tub.

When the washing of the laundry in the drum washing machine is completed, the door, which closes the opened front surface of the housing, is opened, and the laundry is taken out of the drum. The structure of the drum, which is horizontally disposed in the housing, causes a user to bend his/her back in order to take the laundry out of the bottom of the drum after the washing of the laundry is completed, thereby causing the user inconvenience.

In order to solve the above problem, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0400969 discloses a drum washing machine, in which a front portion of a tub having a drum installed therein is lifted upwards so that a user easily places or takes laundry into or out of the drum without bending his/her back when a door is opened.

The drum washing machine, disclosed in the above patent, includes a structure in which the laundry is taken out of the drum under the condition that the front end of the drum is lifted upwards, thus being disadvantageous in that it is not easy to take the laundry, which is scattered in several positions on the inner cylindrical surface of the drum by the high-speed rotation of the drum, out of the drum to the outside.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a drum washing machine, in which a drum is manually rotated so that a user can easily and rapidly take laundry, attached to several positions of the inner cylindrical surface of the drum or entangled in the drum, out of the drum after a dehydrating operation is performed by the high-speed rotation of the drum.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing a drum washing machine including a housing defining an exterior appearance of the drum washing machine, and a drum rotatably installed in the housing, the drum including a main body forming an inner space storing laundry to be washed therein, an opening extended from a front end of the main body to s front surface of the housing, and a plurality of protrusions spaced from each other by a designated interval and disposed on an inner cylindrical surface of the opening so that the drum can be manually rotated.

The protrusions include circular cross sections, and are arranged in plural lines in a transverse direction of the drum. As an alternative, the protrusions may be extended in the transverse direction of the drum, and arranged along a cylindrical surface of the opening.

The protrusions are molded integrally with the opening by a press molding process. As an alternative, the protrusions may be made separately from the opening, and then be mounted to the inner cylindrical surface of the opening.

The drum may be inclined in the housing so that a height of the front end of the drum at which the opening is formed is higher than that of a rear end of the drum.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of a drum washing machine in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a front portion of a drum of the drum washing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of a drum washing machine in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a front portion of a drum of the drum washing machine shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a drum washing machine in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of a front portion of a drum of the drum washing machine shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drum washing machine in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing 1 forming the external appearance of the drum washing machine, a tub 2 installed in the housing 1 to contain washing water therein, a drum 20 rotatably installed in the tub 2 to store laundry to be wash therein, and a door 3 hinged with an opened front surface of the housing 1.

A water supply hose 4 to supply the washing water and a detergent supply device 5 to supply detergent are disposed above the tub 2, and a drain hose 6 and a drain pump 7 to discharge the washing water contained in the tub 2 to the outside of the housing 1 when the washing of the laundry is completed is disposed below the tub 2.

A rotary shaft 8 is connected with an outer surface of the rear portion of the drum 20 and is extended to the outside of the tub 2, and a driving motor 9 connected to the rotary shaft 8 is installed outside the tub 2. A bearing member 10 is installed on a central portion of the rear surface of the tub 2, through which the rotary shaft 8 passes, and rotatably supports the rotary shaft 8.

As described above, one end of the rotary shaft 8 is connected with an outer surface of the rear portion of the drum 20, a central portion of the rotary shaft 8 is rotatably supported by the bearing member 10, and the other end of the rotary shaft 8 is connected with the driving motor 9 connected with an outer surface of the rear portion of the tub 2. Thereby, the drum 20 can be rotated in the tub 2 by driving the driving motor 9.

The tub 2 comprising a cylindrical shape is supported by a plurality of bumpers 11 installed on the bottom of the housing 1. The tub 2 is inclined in the housing 1 so that the height of the front end of the tub 2 facing the door 3 is higher than that of the rear end of the tub 2 on which the driving motor 9 is installed.

The drum 20, which is inclined in the tub 2 in the same manner as the tub 2, comprises a main body 21 having a cylindrical shape, the front surface of the main body is opened, and an opening 22 extended from the opened front surface of the main body 21 towards the door 3. Thus, the height of the front end of the drum 20 is higher than that of the rear end of the drum 20, and a user can place or take laundry into or out of the drum 20 without bending his/her back.

A plurality of dehydration holes 23 are formed through the main body 21 of the drum 20. The dehydration holes 23 cause the water contained in the tub 2 to flow into the drum 20 in a washing operation so as to perform the washing of the laundry using washing water containing the detergent solved therein, and cause the washing water to de discharged from the drum 20 to the tub 2 in a dehydrating operation so as to discharge the washing water to the outside of the housing 1 through the drain hose 6.

A plurality of lifters 24, which are extended in an axial direction, are installed on the main body 21 and spaced from each other by a designated interval. As the drum 20 is repeatedly rotated in regular and reverse directions in the washing operation, the lifters 24 lift the laundry to a designated height and drop the laundry, thereby rapidly and efficiently washing the laundry. Accordingly, when the driving motor 9 is operated, the rotary shaft 8 is rotated together with the rotation of the drum 20, and thus the washing, rinsing, and dehydrating operations of the drum washing machine are performed.

A plurality of protrusions 30 are formed on the opening 22 of the drum 20 serving as an inlet for placing or taking the laundry into or out of the main body 21 of the drum 20, thereby allowing a user to manually rotate the drum 20 under the condition that the driving motor 9 is not operated.

In FIG. 2, the protrusions 30 have cylindrical structures protruded from the inner cylindrical surface of the opening 22, and comprise circular cross sections of a predetermined size. Further, the protrusions 30 are arranged in plural lines in a transverse direction of the drum 20.

The protrusions 30 are arranged in plural straight lines, and the plural straight lines of the protrusions 30 formed on the inner cylindrical surface of the opening 22 are spaced from each other by a designated interval in a circumferential direction. Thus, a user can easily manually push the protrusions 30, thereby rotating the drum 20.

The protrusions 30 are molded integrally with the opening 22 by press working when the drum 20 is manufactured.

Alternately, the protrusions 30 may be made separately from the opening 22, and be mounted to the inner cylindrical surface of the opening 22.

Accordingly, when the washing of the laundry is completed, the user opens the door 3 and easily rotates the drum 20 using the protrusions 30 protruded from the inner cylindrical surface of the opening 22, thereby easily and rapidly taking the laundry, attached to several positions of the inner cylindrical surface of the main body 21 of the drum 20, out of the drum 20 to the outside of the housing 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of a drum washing machine in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a front portion of a drum of the drum washing machine shown in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the drum washing machine in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention has the same structure as the drum washing machine in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention except that a plurality of protrusions 30 a formed on the opening 22 of the drum 20 have shapes differing from those of the protrusions 30 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, hereinafter, only the arrangement of the protrusions 30 a will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the protrusions 30 a, which have designated height and length, are arranged on the inner cylindrical surface of the opening 22 in the transverse direction of the drum 20. That is, the protrusions 30 a comprise approximately rectangular cross sections with a small width and a large length, and are spaced from each other by a designated interval along the inner cylindrical surface of the opening 22. Thus, a user can easily rotate the drum 20 by rotating the protrusions 30 a under the condition that the user grips the protrusions 30 a.

In the same manner as the protrusions 30 of the drum washing machine of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protrusions 30 a of the drum washing machine of the second embodiment may be molded integrally with the opening 22 by a press molding process when the drum 20 is manufactured, or may be made separately from the opening 22 and be mounted to the inner cylindrical surface of the opening 22.

As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a drum washing machine, in which a drum is easily rotated using a plurality of protrusions formed along the inner cylindrical surface of an opening of the drum so that a user can reach laundry, attached to several positions of the inner cylindrical surface of the drum, thereby allowing the user to easily and rapidly take the laundry out of the drum.

Further, since the drum of the drum washing machine of the present invention is inclined so that the height of the front end of the drum is higher than that of the rear end of the drum, the drum washing machine allows the user to place or take the laundry into or out of the drum without bending his/her back, thereby facilitating the carrying of the laundry into or out of the drum.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents. 

1. A drum washing machine comprising: a housing to define an exterior appearance of the drum washing machine; and a drum rotatably installed in the housing, and comprising: a main body forming an inner space storing laundry to be washed therein, an opening extended from a front end of the main body to a front surface of the housing, and a plurality of protrusions spaced from each other by a designated interval and disposed on the inner cylindrical surface of the opening so that the drum can be manually rotated.
 2. The drum washing machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protrusions comprise circular cross sections, and are arranged in plural lines in a transverse direction of the drum.
 3. The drum washing machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protrusions are extended in a transverse direction of the drum, and are arranged along a cylindrical surface of the opening.
 4. The drum washing machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protrusions are formed integrally with the opening by a press molding process.
 5. The drum washing machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protrusions are made separately from the opening, and are mounted to an inner cylindrical surface of the opening.
 6. The drum washing machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the drum is inclined in the housing so that a height of a front end of the drum at which the opening is formed is higher than that of a rear end of the drum.
 7. A drum for drum washing machines comprising: a main body to contain laundry therein; an opening which extends forward from the main body so that the laundry is placed into the main body through the opening; and a plurality of protrusions spaced from each other by a designated interval and disposed on an inner cylindrical surface of the opening so that the drum can be manually rotated.
 8. A washing machine comprising: a drum inclined at a predetermined angle such that a front end thereof is positioned higher than a rear end thereof; and protrusions spaced apart on an inner surface of an opening of the drum to allow the drum to be manually rotated.
 9. The washing machine of claim 8, wherein the protrusions comprise circular cross sections and are arranged in plural lines in a transverse direction of the drum.
 10. The washing machine of claim 8, wherein the protrusions are formed integrally with the opening by a press molding process.
 11. The washing machine of claim 8, wherein the protrusions are made separately from the opening and mounted to the opening.
 12. A washing machine comprising: a drum inclined at a predetermined angle such that a front end thereof is positioned higher than a rear end thereof; and means for manually rotating the drum to allow a user to retrieve laundry placed into the drum after a dehydrating operation of the washing machine. 